How many investments has Aqua Spark made?

Aqua Spark has 28 tracked investments, including 1 dated in the last 24 months.

What stage does Aqua Spark invest at?

Aqua Spark invests at the Seed, Late Stage stages.

What sectors does Aqua Spark focus on?

Aqua Spark focuses on AgTech, Climate Tech, FoodTech, Impact & Social Good.

Where is Aqua Spark located?

Aqua Spark is headquartered in Utrecht, NL.

Who does Aqua Spark co-invest with?

Aqua Spark most often shares deals with Blue Revolution Investments G.P., Mindshift Capital, Designer Fund, among 32 tracked co-investors.

Aqua Spark

Impact investoroperating company · company profile

Utrecht · Seed–Late Stage · 26 people tracked

Also known as AQUA-SPARK MANAGEMENT B.V.

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Find your way into Aqua Spark

8,761 people in our graph share verified history with the Aqua Spark team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.

David Phuunlockedknows Maria Velkova · together at PwC (overlapped)

×2knows the team · via PwC

×3knows the team · via Stanford University

knows the team · via London Business School

knows the team · via HEC Paris

knows the team · via TED Conferences

✨ Fox Verdict

Investment thesis

Aqua-Spark invests in sustainable, commercial aquaculture businesses that form the foundation of the aquaculture food system, such as fish farms, feed mills and hatcheries, selecting best-in-class operations committed to continual improvement. Backed by a global community of over 300 investors from more than 25 countries, the fund supports the growth of a new, environmentally responsible aquaculture industry and actively seeks entrepreneurs working toward a more sustainable aquaculture food system.

Invests inAgTech Climate Tech FoodTech Impact & Social Good Global Utrecht

Source: firm website, verified Sep 1, 2026.

Stage

Seed–Late Stage

Utrecht, NL

Instruments

Equity

Founded

2013

Private fund assets

$470.4M

Tracked investments

Team · 26 people

from the firm's website & curated & public directories

Glenn Flanders· Partner· United Statesin

Glenn Flanders is a Business Development Officer at Aqua-Spark, working in asset and wealth management consultancy. His professional background covers long-term strategy, change management, and business development, with a focus on client and stakeholder relationships.

Mike Velings· Managing Partner· Netherlandsin

Amy Novogratz· Managing Partner· Netherlandsin

Amy Novogratz is co-founder of Aqua-Spark, a Netherlands-based fund focused on investing in sustainable aquaculture businesses across the value chain. She serves as a board member at XpertSea and has previously held roles including Director of the TED Prize and involvement with initiatives related to ocean conservation, food systems, and global development.

Sergejs Iljasenko· Investment Manager· Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlandsin

Sergejs Iljasenko is Chief Financial Officer at Rubio Impact Ventures, a European impact venture capital fund with €250M in assets under management, where he leads financial operations, risk and controls, portfolio valuations, and strategic planning. His background spans financial services, consulting, and technology, and he founded EY Finance Navigator, a financial forecasting platform later rolled out globally by EY. He holds an MSc in Economics, is a Certified Management Accountant, and has served on the board of the Institute of Management Accountants Amsterdam and as a board observer at portfolio companies.

Paul Otto· Director Legal/ Secretary Supervisory Board· Berlin, Berlin, Germanyin

A former professional athlete who specializes in daily trading activity and leads the active portion of the fund's portfolio management.

Alexander Belderok· External expert (board member portfolio companies)

Andrea Stellini· Financial Controller· Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlandsin

Andrea Stellini is an Investor Relations & Finance Operations Analyst at Rubio Impact Ventures, with prior experience in Big Four audit, corporate finance and reporting at a listed multinational, and impact-oriented foundations. Stellini holds an MBA in Sustainability Management, the ICAEW CFAB, and the CFA Institute's Climate Risk, Valuation & Investing Certificate, and focuses on the intersection of sustainability and finance.

Ben Gimson· Lead Africa· Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlandsin

Bente Jonker· HR Manager

Boris van Troost· ESG & Impact Officer

Chen Zhu· Investor· Netherlandsin

Chen Zhu serves as a Portfolio Company Board Member at Aqua-Spark, where he works on sustainable innovation and regenerative agriculture and aquaculture initiatives. With over a decade of experience in impact investing, governance, and sustainability, his focus includes circular economy solutions and alignment of investment strategies with sustainability frameworks.

Frank van Roest· Investor· Netherlandsin

Harpreet Kaur· Risk Manager· Gurugram, Haryana, Indiain

Harpreet Kaur is a Financial Accountant at Aqua-Spark. Her work includes financial planning and analysis, with skills in financial modeling, budgeting, and forecasting.

Jan Slootweg· Investor· Netherlands

John Vogel· Legal Director· The Randstad, Netherlandsin

John Vogel is Chief Development Officer at Aqua-Spark, with more than 15 years of experience in impact investing, where he has built and led fundraising and investor relations functions and raised capital from investors including family offices, foundations, institutional investors, and development finance institutions. He began his career in healthcare, working in clinical and hospital settings for nearly a decade, and later co-founded a non-profit focused on rehabilitation care in Tanzania. He speaks at international conferences, panel discussions, and investor events.

Kimberley Hardjodikromo· Corporate Controller

Leon van Schaik· Chief Finance and Risk Officer (CFRO)

Maria Velkova· Chief Portfolio Officer (CPO)· Londonin

Marica Costa· Investor Relations Officer· Nairobi County, Kenyain

Marica Costa is an Investor Relations Officer at Aqua-Spark, a global fund focused on sustainable aquaculture, where she supports LP communications, reporting, and fundraising activities. Her background spans venture capital funds, open innovation, and early-stage ventures in sustainability, food systems, and energy transition, including a startup accelerator fund, an EV-charging scale-up, and a regenerative food startup. She has professional experience in Italy, Portugal, and The Netherlands.

Michiel Krauss· Development Officer· Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlandsin

Michiel Krauss is a Business Development Officer at Aqua-Spark. His work covers investment and business development, with experience in long-term strategy and change management, and a focus on client and stakeholder relationships.

Milad Feroegh· Legal Counsel

Stephanie Rakels· Chief Development Officer (CDO)· Switzerlandin

Stephanie Rakels is Chief Development Officer at Aqua-Spark, with more than 15 years of experience in impact investing, where she has built and led fundraising and investor relations functions and developed strategic partnerships. She has raised capital from investors including family offices, private investors, fund-of-funds, foundations, institutional investors and development finance institutions. Earlier in her career she worked in healthcare across clinical and hospital settings for nearly a decade, and later co-founded and led a non-profit rehabilitation care initiative in Tanzania.

Zineb Morchid· Financial Accountant· Utrecht Areain

Zineb Morchid is a Financial Accountant at Aqua-Spark. Her work covers financial planning and analysis, including financial modeling, budgeting, and forecasting.

See Clarification See Clarification· Executive Officer

Bertrand Ducrey· Investor Relations Officer· Switzerlandin

CEO of Debiopharm and Senior Vice-Chairman of the Life Science activities of Après-demain, overseeing drug development, formulation, manufacturing and digital health investment. He joined Debiopharm in 1995 and holds a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Lausanne University.

Chris Knowles· Member of The Supervisory Board· Luxembourgin

Chris Knowles is an independent advisor on climate and environmental finance with prior experience as a long-term staff member at the European Investment Bank, where he led a team focused on climate and environmental finance and managed annual allocations of approximately €20 billion. His background spans development economics, project finance, public-private partnerships, and corporate and banking credits. He serves as a board member of Outrigger Impact and has held positions on supervisory boards and advisory committees for clean energy, environmental, infrastructure, and carbon funds.

Founder mafia

3 people who came through Aqua Spark went on to found or lead other companies.

Mike VelingsManaging PartnerFounded Aquaspark Visit Aquaspark Carsten KromeTechnical AnalystFounded HATCH Shai OnnExecutive ChairmanFounded Akeyless

What they invest in

from 20 of 31 portfolio companies

FoodTech ×16AgTech ×15Biotech ×7Circular Economy ×5Climate Tech ×4AI & Machine Learning ×3Cleantech ×3Hardware ×3

HQs:United States×3Norway×2Brazil×1Finland×1United Kingdom×1Ireland×1

Who they back

founder profiles across 9 portfolio companies

67%

solo founders

6 of 9 mapped founding teams

Founding team size:solo founder×62 founders×23 founders×1

Investments · 31 tracked

founders shown can be your intro path

By year:2024 · 1 2023 · 2 2021 · 1 2019 · 15 dated

ACE Aquatecaceaquatec.com in✓ verified

Ace Aquatec builds IoT-enabled precision products for the aquaculture industry, including acoustic wildlife deterrents, sea lice treatment, biomass estimation and real-time monitoring, and humane fish-stunning solutions.

AgTechAI & Machine LearningCleantechFoodTechHardwareIoTDundee, GB

Nathan Pyne-Carter(CEO)inAlan MacLeod(Chief Finance Officer (CFO))inTara McGregor-Woodhams(Chief Sales & Marketing Officer (CSMO))inKeith Davidson(Chief Technology Officer (CTO))in

Co-investorsChroma Ventures Earth Capital Scottish Enterprise

Chicoa Fish Farmchicoa.fish✓ verified

Chicoa is a tilapia aquaculture farm operating in Southern Africa, providing farmed fish products.

AgTechFoodTechImpact & Social GoodCahora Bassa, MZ

GerryDamien

Co-investorsGoodwell Investments

Matorkamatorka.is in✓ verified

Matorka operates a land-based, vertically integrated aquaculture business raising Arctic char in Iceland, harvesting to order with full traceability from egg to customer.

AgTechCircular EconomyFoodTech

Olav Ketilsson(Co-founder & Board Member)Christo du Plessis(CEO)inNeil Stallard(Chief Production Officer)in

Bluefinbluefin.io in 𝕏Oct 2023

Bluefin is an orderbook-based decentralized derivatives exchange built for both first-time users and professional traders.

Crypto & Web3Fintech

Ahmad Jawaid(Founder)in

Co-investorsAltonomy Amber Group Compound FBG Capital Hashed LedgerPrime +11 more

CageEyebluegrove.com in

CageEye is a Norwegian aquatech company that uses hydroacoustics combined with pellet detection to monitor salmon behavior and fish welfare and improve feeding in aquaculture.

AgTechHardwareIoT

Co-investorsBlue Revolution Investments G.P.

Calystacalysta.com in 𝕏Jun 2019

Calysta produces protein ingredients through a patented fermentation platform that does not use arable land, plants, or animal products, offering products such as FeedKind and Positive Protein for animal feed and food.

AgTechBiotechFoodTechMenlo Park, US

Alan Shaw, Ph.D.(Executive Officer, Director)Alan Shaw(President, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder)inLori Giver(Chief Science and Sustainability Officer)inCraig Barratt, Ph.D.(Director)David Hayes(Director)Suan Swee Tan(Director)

Co-investorsBaruch Future Ventures Celesta Capital Celesta Capital Pangaea Ventures Us Inc.SQN Venture Partners, LLC bp ventures +2 more

Chicoa

Aquaculture farm in Mozambique using fish behavior and geography to improve welfare and efficiency.

Cryoocyte

Allston, US

Mike Velings(Director)James Webb(Executive Officer, Director)Dmitry Kozachenok(Executive Officer, Director)Vladimir Cernavskis(Executive Officer, Director)Thad Simons(Director)

BoardDavid B. Matias(Director)in

Co-investorsVodia Ventures

Ectoecto.comOct 2021 · $7M

Ecto offers a mobile-first platform for managing tasks, alerts, and customizable procedures across animal production operations such as aquaculture, poultry, pork, and feed plants.

AgTechFoodTechSaaS

Co-investorsVodia Ventures Cultivation Capital Seventure Partners Yield Lab

Eniferenifer.com in

Pekilo is a mycoprotein-based ingredient that provides digestible proteins and dietary fiber as a sustainable alternative to meat products.

AgTechBiotechCircular EconomyFoodTechImpact & Social GoodFinland, FI

Co-investorsNordic Foodtech VC Voima Ventures

Fisher Pisciculturafisherpiscicultura.com.br

Fisher Piscicultura is a Brazilian tilapia aquaculture company operating since 2011 that produces over 2,000 tons of tilapia annually and develops its own farming technology, the TRGV (large-volume net tank) system designed for Brazilian reservoirs.

AgTechFoodTechHardware

HATCHhatch.blue in 𝕏

Hatch Blue Investments is a venture capital firm that invests in startups across the aquaculture and seafood value chain, including farming systems, nutrition, health and genetics, and alternative seafood.

AgTechClimate TechFoodTechImpact & Social Good

Carsten Krome(Co-founder)inGeorg Baunach(Co-founder)inWayne Murphy(Co-founder)in

Co-investorsFarvatn Venture

Hofseth Biocarehofsethbiocare.com

Hofseth BioCare develops products derived from fish, using patented processes and R&D programs including research on asthma, COVID-19, and gastrointestinal health.

BiotechFoodTechWellness & Fitness

Roger Hofseth(Founder and anchor shareholder)in

Indian Ocean Trepang

Sea cucumber farming with smallholders in Madagascar.

Indian Ocean Trepang (IOT)iotrepang.com

KAS

Uses micro algae to produce natural astaxanthin for salmonids and shrimp (United States).

Kuehnle AgroSystemskuehnleagro.com

Kuehnle AgroSystems (KAS) is a biotech company that uses a patented "dark fermentation" process and proprietary non-GMO microalgae strains to produce natural high-value products such as astaxanthin.

AgTechBiotechFoodTechHonolulu, US

Adelheid Kuehnle(Executive Officer, Director)inClaude Kaplan(CEO)Gordon Wallace(Executive Officer)

BoardLarsen Mettler(Director)inKonrad Mueller Auffermann(Director)Carsten Krome(Director)in

Co-investorsBlue Revolution Investments G.P.Cavallo Ventures IVC S2G Investments

Lake Harvest

Established African tilapia producer in sub-Saharan Africa.

Lake Harvest Grouplakeharvest.com

Oceano Frescooceano-fresco.pt inOct 2024

Oceano Fresco farms shellfish, including clams and the European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis), using open-sea nurseries in the Atlantic Ocean with a regenerative aquaculture approach.

AgTechClimate TechFoodTech

Co-investorsBlueCrow Capital Semapa Next Indico Capital Partners

Proteon

Bacteriophage solution reducing antibiotic use in aquaculture (Poland).

Proteon Pharmaceuticalsproteonpharma.com

Co-investorsMontis Capital Montis VC

PROTIXprotix.eu in 𝕏

Protix produces insect-derived protein, lipid, and puree ingredients for pet food, aquaculture feed, and livestock feed, as well as frass and larvae-based products for plant care and breeding.

AgTechCircular EconomyFoodTech

Co-investorsBOM European Circular Bioeconomy Fund Invest-NL SHIFT Invest

SAF

Extracts nutrients from wastewater to produce high value algae products (Sweden).

Sea6

Cultivates and harvests seaweed at scale, engineering innovative byproducts (India).

Sea6 Energysea6energy.com in 𝕏

Sea6 Energy develops seaweed-derived biotechnology products and biomaterials for agriculture, animal health, food ingredients, and bioplastics, leveraging ocean farming and bioprocessing technologies.

AgTechBiotechCircular EconomyCleantechClimate TechEnergyNew MaterialsBangalore, IN

Co-investorsSilverstrand Capital PETRONAS Ventures

Swedish Algae Factoryswedishalgaefactory.com in 𝕏

Swedish Algae Factory cultivates diatoms and extracts their silica shells, marketed as Algica®, a material used in high-end oceanic beauty care products and applications such as solar panel efficiency enhancement.

Circular EconomyCleantechNew MaterialsKungshamn, SE

Co-investorsChalmers Ventures AB Mindshift Capital

Tepbactepbac.vn

Tepbac operates in the aquaculture sector with a focus on shrimp farming, referencing global shrimp market growth and Vietnam's position as the world's second-largest shrimp exporter.

AgTechFoodTech

Lam Nguyen(Founder)in

Co-investorsAgFunder

Umami Bioworksumamibioworks.com in

Umami Bioworks develops cultivated seafood using cell biology and bioprocess engineering technologies.

AI & Machine LearningBiotechFoodTech

Mihir Pershad(Founder & CEO)in

Co-investorsAera VC Better Bite Ventures Brinc Mindshift Capital Sustainable Food Ventures The Yield Lab Asia Pacific +2 more

Wanda Fishwandafish.comOct 2023 · $7M

Wanda Fish develops cell-cultivated seafood, with a flagship cultivated toro bluefin tuna product grown using cell culture and biotechnology methods.

BiotechClimate TechFoodTech

Co-investorsMoreVC CPT Capital Peregrine Ventures PICO Venture Partners

Xpert Seaxpertsea.com in

KAMPI is an app and platform that uses machine learning and AI to turn shrimp farmers' daily records into recommendations for managing biomass, biological and environmental parameters, feeding, and profitability across the harvest cycle.

AgTechAI & Machine LearningFoodTech

Co-investorsDesigner Fund FounderFuel

Portfolio news

latest coverage across their companies

Calysta appoints new CEO as FeedKind producer seeks funding to scale single-cell protein production | Feed Business Middle East & Africa - No.1 Publication for Animal Nutrition, Animal Health & Livestock Industry

Calysta · feedbusinessmea.com · Jul 29, 2026

Trysignalbase

Oceano Fresco · trysignalbase.com · Jul 28, 2026

Kuehnle AgroSystems Bags Funding to Scale Fermentation-Derived Astaxanthin

Kuehnle AgroSystems · greenqueen.com.hk · Jul 27, 2026

Hofseth Biocare raises $14.5m with share placement - Undercurrent News

Hofseth Biocare · undercurrentnews.com · Jun 29, 2026

Icelandic investors don't shy away from Matorka, despite volcanic setback - Undercurrent News

Matorka · undercurrentnews.com · May 13, 2026

Frequently asked questions

How many investments has Aqua Spark made?: Aqua Spark has 28 tracked investments, including 1 dated in the last 24 months.
What stage does Aqua Spark invest at?: Aqua Spark invests at the Seed, Late Stage stages.
What sectors does Aqua Spark focus on?: Aqua Spark focuses on AgTech, Climate Tech, FoodTech, Impact & Social Good.
Where is Aqua Spark located?: Aqua Spark is headquartered in Utrecht, NL.
Who does Aqua Spark co-invest with?: Aqua Spark most often shares deals with Blue Revolution Investments G.P., Mindshift Capital, Designer Fund, among 32 tracked co-investors.

Media · Podcasts & interviews

featuring the team

Amy Novogratz: Start-Ups I Want To Invest In | Christopher Vonheim | Aqua Spark

Christopher Vonheim · Amy Novogratz

Images

Co-investors · 9

Celesta Capital

Celesta Capital is a venture capital firm that invests in deep tech companies at the forefront of science and engineering.

Both backed · 1

Calysta

$5M – $20M

Seventure Partners

Seventure Partners is a European venture capital firm, founded in 1997 and a subsidiary of Natixis Investment Managers, investing in digital technologies and life sciences companies with strong growth potential.

Both backed · 1

Ecto

bp ventures

BP Ventures invests in private technology companies developing innovations in the energy sector. The firm focuses on early to growth-stage companies globally.

Both backed · 1

Calysta

$1M – $10M

Chroma Ventures

Chroma Ventures backs exceptional teams and innovative technology-driven companies from early-stage to scale-up, taking active board roles to support ambitious growth plans and international expansion.

Both backed · 1

ACE Aquatec

$630K – $6.3M

GV (Google Ventures)

GV (Google Ventures) is a venture capital firm that has invested in artificial intelligence and machine learning since its early days, building a global portfolio of more than 100 AI companies across infrastructure, life sciences, and applications.

$250K – $50M

QED Investors

QED Investors is a venture capital firm focused on financial services, founded by former Capital One executives to back founders bringing transparency and fairness to fintech.

$30K – $25M

Breakthrough Energy Ventures

Breakthrough Energy, founded by Bill Gates, backs innovators developing affordable, reliable, and clean energy technologies, investing across manufacturing, electricity, agriculture, transportation, and buildings.

$500K – $50M

Atlantico

Atlantico is a venture capital firm that backs founders building companies in Latin America and beyond, and publishes annual reports on the region's digital transformation.

$100K – $5M

BASF Venture Capital GmbH

$1.1M – $5.4M

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